Customer Reviews

On the Farm

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Artist Holly Meade well remembers her childhood visits to her grandparents dairy farm. She writes that it was one of the highlights of her young life, "I would wake early in my feather bed to the lowing of cows.....I wish that every child could experience having the natural world as excitingly near as it is on the farm."

Today not many children have that experience yet David Elliott and Ms. Meade have created a happy reminder of what life was like on a family farm. For the first time, Ms. Meade uses woodcuts for a picture book and they are stunning - full page illustrations enhanced with watercolors bring all of the animals to eye-popping life from the crowing strutting rooster to the sly barn cat to the silent rabbit.

Mr. Elliott's easy, descriptive verse will be a pleasure for young eyes and ears. Of the snake he writes, "Coils in the garden like a spring or the wild and winding melody he hears but cannot sing."

This one's a keeper!

- Gail Cooke

The illustrations are beautiful. The woodcuts are colourful without being overly complex. The text is short and descriptive for each animal. My little girl adores this book with special affection lavished on the cow, dog and pig. :) I would love to see more books from this author and illustrator duo as this is one of the best picture books I've seen though my taste tends towards the more old-fashioned books with less flash such as
Virginia Lee Burton's and Dr. Seuss.

We picked this up at the book store this afternoon and have read it several times already tonight. My 3 year old and 21 month old love it. The illustrations are beautiful, the writing poetic and interesting. My daughter is already remembering some of the lines and asking to read it again and again. It has charm and I enjoy reading it to them, which is always a positive sign. I will buy this as a gift.

The most beautiful art work is in this book- lovely story for young children too.